Method of decating fabrics



Feb. 21, 1950 w. N. HADLEY METHOD OF DECATING FABRICS Filed June 12,1947 JNVENTOR. Wed! .ifazlle y.

BY w 711411-00 Patented Feb. 21, 1950 METHOD OF DECATING FABRICS WilfredN. Hadley,- Springfield, Vt., asslgnor to Parks & Woolson Machine 00.,Springfield, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Application June 12, 1947,Serial 1%. 754,174

1 can. (01,. 26-1) This invention relates to a new and improved methodof finishing textilefabrics and more particularly to improvements whichinclude both wet decating and steam finishing methods and machinesheretofore emroyed, with the resultant effect of greatly increasedproduction and a substantially superior product, all at substantiallyreduced labor and heat requirement costs. The invention contemplates thewrapping into a cylindrical body on a foraminous cylinder a much largerquantity of fabric to be treated than has been possible to treat in oneoperation by the methods and machines heretofore known, maintaining andprotecting the fabric in its flat and overlapping relation by theapplication of a foraminous and flexible holding sheet of tough andnon-stretchable material, as rustless metal or plastic, to and in flat,continuous, and overlapped end pressure contact with the circumferenceof the body, and finishing the fabric by forcing treating fluidsradially through the body while thus supported. The improved method notonly makes possible the more rapid handling of substantially greaterquantities of the fabric by a substantially reduced amount of labor butfurthermore permits the treating of the fabric in large rolls of varyingsize and high fluid pressure at substantially reduced heat costs andproduces a smoother and superior product having uniformly desirablesurface finish. The produc tion of an improved method of this nature forthe purpose described comprises the primary object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view through an apparatus embodying myinvention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, partially broken away, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing I have illustrated the inventubular construction and arein communication with a perforated pipe I4 passing axially through thecylinder. The cylinder is adapted to be rotated by a motor l5 operatingthrough a belt IS on a belt wheel l1.

The liquid bath in the tank is adapted to be 2 heated by steam from aperforated pipe l3. Treating fluid is passed into and circulated throughthe cylinder through a pipe 20. Hot

water, cold water and steam connections are provided as at 22, 24 and 26together with shutoff valves 23, and 21. A circulating pipe connectionto the tank is provided at 30 together with a pump P and a shut-offvalve 3|.

The cylinder I2 is adapted to receive a fabric 34 thereon to form acylindricalbody 38 of fabric wrapped in flat and overlapping relationfrom a supply 31 by known procedure and apparatus. This cylinder offabric is thereafter treated to give proper and desirable finish to thecloth. The wet decating and steam finishing methods heretofore employedfor this purpose have various limitations and the primary object of myinvention resides in the production of an improved treating method thatsubstantially increases production at less cost and produces asubstantially superior product.

My invention contemplates the employment of a foraminous jacket for thefabric cylinder 36 that can place and hold a relatively large body ofthe fabric flat and under substantial pressure during the finishingtreatment. In the drawing I have illustrated the jacket as comprising asingle sheet 38 perforated at 40. The sheet will be constructed from amaterial which is sufficiently flexible to wrap tightly about the fabriccylinder and sufficiently tough and nonstretchable to stand thesubstantial tension placed on it when clamped in working position on thefabric. The material which I preferably employ is a rustless metal, ascopper, Monel metal or stainless steel, or a suitable plastic. Clampingmeans are provided on the two ends of the sheet for drawing it intotight contact with the fabric. A suitable number of properly spacedclamps are employed and, as illustrated, each embodies a clamping unit44 cooperating with-pieces 46 of rod stock welded to the outer face ofthe ends of the metal sheet 38. Each clamping unit comprises a block 4'!threaded to a rod 48 and having a cooperating block 49 slidable thereon.A power screw 50 threaded through the head 5| of the rod is adapted toengage the block 49. Tightening of the screw 50 is adapted to draw theblocks together and further adjustment is provided by the threadedengagement of the block 41 on the rod.

The jacket sheet 38 is resilient and normally assumes a flat position ina single plane. A preferred method of using the sheet is illustrated in,Fig. 1 wherein the sheet is disposed U-shape about the cylinder l2 inand adjacent to the bottom and sides of the tank with'its ends spacedapart and open at the top of the tank for reception'of the fabric 34.The fabric is wound tightly onto the cylinder l2 to form a fabriccylinder 36 of a size-that can be suitably and 6011-,

veniently treated. The fabric cylinder is covered by a cotton cloth 52,this cloth beingattached to the final end of the fabric 34 and wrappedin a plurality of plies about the fabric cylinder and being somewhatwider than the fabric and overlapping the ends of the fabric cylinder at54. porting the fabric in flat relation and in diffusing the treatingfluid. The jacket sheet 38 is then.

wrapped about the cloth covered fabric roll, its ends overlapped asillustrated in Fig. 3, and the clamping units 44 are applied. End plates56 slidable on the cylinder I2 are brought up into contact with the endsof the jacket 38 and fabric cylinder, thereby completely enclosing thefabric, and the clamping units are tightened to place the fabric undersubstantial compression holding it flat during the subsequent treatment.

The treating of the fabric cylinder 36 is effected by running hot waterinto the cylinder I 2 and outwardly through the fabric to completelysubmerge the fabric cylinder and the hot water is then circulated inboth directions radially through the roll of fabric for a predeterminedperiod of time sufficient to complete the desired treatment. The wateris kept to boiling temperature during this treatment by steam injectedinto the tank through the pipe l8. The cylinder I 2 together with thefabric are rotated constantly during the treatment.

When the hot water treatment has been completed, the hot watler isdrawn'ofl through a drain 58 and cold water is run into the cylinder l2and outwardly through the fabric to submerge the fabric roll and isthereafter circulated pressure gap at the joint and detrimentalimpression marks on the fabric body. Fourth, the tight This cloth coveraids in sup-.

through the roll in both directions radially until the fabric has beenthoroughly cooled. It will be apparent that the confining of the fabricby the jacket 38 and the closing of the ends by the plates 56 causes allthe water to be forced radially through the fabric while the layers areheld firmly in place with no chance to lift or separate and thus causeuneven finish. The jacket 38 is placed under a considerable tension,placing the cloth under substantial pressure,

thereby preventing any looseness of the overlap ping fabric layers thatwould deleteriously affect the finish, feel and appearance of thefabric.

It is pointed out that I employ a foraminous jacket with overlapped endsfor very definite and important reasons. First, the fabrics to bewrapped on the foraminous cylinder I 2 and treated vary in length andthickness sufficiently also substantially to vary the circumference ofthe cylindrical wrapped fabric body. A jacket of exact circumferentialsize cannot be brought into tight contact with such varying bodies,whereas the employment of my invention permits of a considerablecircumferential variation and effects continuous and complete pressurecontact with bodies thus varying in size while permitting the treatingliquid to pass therethrough. Second, to

secure uniform treatment and uniform surface 65 lustre on the fabric itis imperative that the entire circumferential surface shall be confinedwith equal pressure at all points, failure thus to confine the bodyresulting in the development of surface shades that spoil the uniformcharacter of the product. Third, the overlapped ends of the jacketeffect a continuous and complete surface contact of the fabric bodywhereas a jacket with abutting ends drawn together produces a nonandcomplete binding of the fabric body throughout its entirecircumferential surface holds the fabric against shrinkage in widthduring the treatment. The tight and complete confining of the bodyfurthermore permits the use of higher and more eflicient fluid pressuresand the production of a superior finish in addition to speeding up thetreating time required.

The employment of my improved method serves various useful and importantfunctions not heretofore possible in known cloth finishing methods andapparatus. The tight and secure binding of the fabric permits the use ofhigher fluid pressure in the treatment and is particularly effective insecuring a superior finish by the quick chill from hot to cold thusobtained. The higher fluid pressure furthermore shortens the treatingcycle and thereby substantially increases production. Furthermore,whereas heretofore fabrics have been treated in rolls approximately 18"in diameter, my invention treats rolls of 36" diameter, thereby not onlysubstantially increasing the production per man employed but also makinga tremendous saving in heat units required.

The method is likewise applicable to steamfinishing employing s'teaminstead of hot water. In such case the fabric cylinder after beingplaced under compression by the jacket 38, is subjected to steam passedinwardly of the cylinder l2 and radially outward through the cylinderl2, fabric roll 36 and jacket 38. when the steam treatment has beencompleted it is followed by cold water forced outwardly through thejacket, thereby quickly cooling the product.

Having thus disclosed by invention .what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A method of decating textile fabrics, which consists in wrapping an openstrip of fabric in flat and direct overlapping relation on and about aforaminous cylindrical surface to form a cylin- REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 824,255 Mather June 26, 1906997,292 Hebden July 11, 1911 1,120,398 Masson Dec; 8, 1914 1,259,839Dudley Mar. 19, 1918 1,261,501 Dudley Apr. 2, 1918 1,266,110 Dudley May14, 1918 1,280,187 Dudley Oct. 1,1918 1,727,041 Ryley- Sept. 3, 19291,825,974 Obermaier Oct. 6, 1931 1,841,024 Garey et a1 Jan. 12, 1932

